GENRE HYBRIDIZATION IN ONLINE BUSINESS MEDIA: TRANSFORMING DISCOURSE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of genre hybridization in contemporary online business media. It examines how, under the influence of digital technologies, changes in audience behavior, and economic factors, traditional genre canons of business media are losing their rigidity. The author identifies and analyzes in detail the main forms of hybridization, such as the convergence of news and analytical discourse (“news-analysis”), the fusion of professional and entertainment content (infotainment), the integration of user-generated content (UGC), the influence of native advertising and brand journalism, and personalization in the “opinion blog” format. The paper assesses the dual consequences of this process: on the one hand, it democratizes access to information, increases audience engagement, and develops new means of expression; on the other, it risks eroding objectivity, reducing the depth of analysis, and undermining trust in the media. The conclusion is that hybridization does not represent destruction, but rather an adaptation and complication of the genre system in response to the challenges of the digital age, which requires editorial offices to find a balance between following trends and maintaining the standards of high-quality journalism.